Support at highest level since 2020Call for public spending, not tax cuts, in BudgetBuilding more houses is voters’ top priority
When the Green Party’s 4pc rating is taken into account, the three Coalition parties now hold 50pc of the national vote, a level of support for the Government not seen in an Ireland Thinks poll since July 2020.
Two-thirds of voters (66pc) back a second term for the Civil War parties (with Independents) over a Sinn Féin-led government excluding Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil (34pc) .
Fine Gael (25pc) and Fianna Fáil (21pc) have both seen their support increase by one point, while Sinn Féin’s popularity has dropped by the same amount to 18pc.
The state of the other parties is: Social Democrats 4pc (+1), Labour Party 4pc (no change), Aontú 3pc (-1), Solidarity-People Before Profit 2pc (no change) and Independents/Other 19pc (+1).
Meanwhile, with Budget 2025 a month away, a significant majority (57pc) want the Government to prioritise investment in public spending over tax cuts (40pc).
Sinn Féin receives €45,000 from mystery donor
The Government is in the middle of preparing an €8.3bn budget package that will include tax cuts worth €1.4bn.
The Sunday Independent has learned that a separate cost-of-living package worth more than €1bn is being prepared and could include a series of electricity credits along with one-off double payments of social welfare benefits, including child benefit and the state pension.
The majority of those polled (58pc) said they will not be bought off by giveaway
Our poll shows voters want the Government to focus on building more homes over tax cuts or welfare hikes. When asked what the State’s priority should be, 45pc of voters said introducing measures to get more houses built was most important, while only 22pc said income tax cuts, 14pc said state pension hikes and 9pc said social welfare increases.
While housing is clearly a key issue for voters, only 2pc said the renter’s tax credit should be a budget priority, while 3pc said tax breaks for landlords.
Cuts to the USC and increases to the entry points for tax bands are also expected in Budget 2025, along with significant changes to inheritance tax laws to let families keep more of the money left to them in wills.
Electricity tax credits are firmly back on the table after the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) recommended an increase in household charges for developing and managing the electricity grid.
“There wasn’t really the case for introducing more electricity credits when prices were falling,” a government source said. “But the CRU’s announcement means we will have to look at introducing at least one €150 credit.”
The majority of those polled (58pc) said they will not be bought off by giveaways and insisted that any measures announced on October 1 will not change how they intend voting in the next general election.
There is huge public support (66pc) for the introduction of the controversial Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT), while fewer than one in four (19pc) oppose its introduction.
Forty-five per cent of people said they disagree with Finance Minister Jack Chambers’ decision to defer the tax due to concerns that farmers might be unfairly targeted by the measure, which is aimed at forcing people to develop land that has been zoned for housing.
